Chris Brown made a dream return to Carrow Road but it was super-sub Neil Mellor who salvaged a point for North End with a goal ten minutes from time.

North End couldn't have asked for a better start to the match at Carrow Road, Brown notching after only two minutes against his former club but, in what was a classic game of two halves. Norwich clawed their way back into the match through Leroy Lita on 14 minutes and then went on to take the lead through former PNE target John Kennedy in the 62nd minute.

It was a real sickener for Alan Irvine's side but the North End boss made an inspired triple substitution, sending on Sedgwick, Chaplow and Mellor. It was Chaplow and Mellor who combined to grab the equaliser, the midfielder feeding the striker to lash home and with Norwich already down to ten men the Lilywhites laid seige to the Norwich goal. They threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Canaries but keeper David Marshall was resolute and North End settled for a point.

A point was the least North End deserved. The highly anticipated axe-swinging from Alan Irvine never really materialised, only two changes from the team that had been beaten by Southampton a week earlier. Callum Davidson coming in for the departed McEveley and Brown making only his third start of the season at the expense of Jon Parkin.

Brown wasted no time in getting back amongst the goals. A Paul McKenna ball into the box was chased in by Barry Nicholson but Marshall and Otsemobor made an absolute hash of it, Nicholson almost poked it home but Brown made sure. His obvious delight was clear to see as ran to the PNE fans to celebrate after only two minutes of the game gone.

The goal clearly gave Brown and North End a boost and three minutes later he turned provider when he fed Elliott with the simplest of balls, Elliott struck the ball from 25-yards out and Marshall was forced into a great save low down.

On ten minutes Norwich road their luck once again. Doherty, on the for the injured Stefanovic, got in the way of a David Marshall clearance, Stephen Elliott was lurking but the ball bounced just beyond his reach with the goal gaping.

It proved to be North End's last real threatening moment of the first half. Four minutes later Leroy Lita rose above the North End defence to power home a header with what was probably Norwich's first real attack of the game.

Leroy and Norwich were inspired by the goal and spent the rest of the opening 45 minutes looking to take the lead.

Andy Lonergan had to be at his shot-stopping best on the half hour mark when he got out quick to deny Leroy Lita from close range, seconds later Lonergan was helpless as Ryan Bertrand cut in from the left and hit an unstoppable shot that crashed against the underside of the cross-bar, Lee Croft failed to find the target from the rebound.

The Canaries were flying but couldn't turn their dominance into goals and in a game with plenty of turning points, the sight of the crafty Antoine Sibierski limping off changed the dimension and maybe the direction of the game. It came moments before the break and though his replacement, Jamie Cureton, has often been North End's nemesis, the former Reading man failed to spark a partnership with Lita.

Half-time came at a good time for North End and the direction of the game had already changed, even when former Preston target John Kennedy toe-poked the Canaries back in front on 63 minutes it was PNE who looked the dominant side.

Mellor was already on for Elliott at this point and Kennedy's goal prompted Irvine to send both Richard Chaplow and Chris Sedgwick into the fray. All three players gave a tiring Norwich outfit a torrid time for the final 30 minutes of the game.

North End were poking and probing the Canaries defence but just couldn't find a breakthrough, they were the better side but just couldn't get the ball to land at their feet in the right areas. Wayne Brown powered a header over the bar and Chaplow was seconds away from connecting with a Chris Brown header.

But it was Norwich skipper Darrell Russell who provided the final inspiration for North End. Stupidly putting his hand into Ross Wallace's face as the Scotsman attempted to take a quick free-kick, Mr Taylor the referee had no option but to show the Norwich man a straight red card. Less than 60 seconds later Preston were back level.

Chaplow had shown great energy in his cameo and it was his run and pass which found Neil Mellor with time and space on the edge of the box. Mellor was fresh and the jaded Norwich defence couldn't get anywhere near him, Mellor's finish was going in the moment it left his boot.

Glenn Roeder's side were there for the taking and Preston might feel that in the closing stages they should have won it. The big opportunity came with five minutes to go, Chaplow nicked the ball off of Otsemobor near the Norwich corner flag and arrowed his way infield and towards goal, Mellor was hareing his way into the box and Chaplow's ball across the face of goal was begging to be put away, Mellor arrived just a fraction too late.

Sedgwick was denied by Norwich stopper Marshall with two minutes left on the clock and the former Celtic keeper was the difference between a draw and defeat for Roeder's men as he came for and collected everything as PNE bombarded the Canaries'  goal.

The win wasn't to be for the Lilywhites, but a point at Carrow Road is nothing to be sniffed at, more importantly the momentum is with North End as they look ahead to next Sunday's big derby against Blackpool.